This lesson provides elementary level educators with resources and ideas for teaching story elements with the aid of the Brain Pop Jr. website and the software Tux Paint. Over a five-day period of 50 minute long lessons, subjects such as the main idea, characters, plot and setting of a story will be taught to the students through various individual activities. An individual reading session introduces the lesson, progressing into the different daily activities that will put the students' newfound knowledge into practice.
Objectives:
• Given a list of vocabulary words and using the words in the correct context, the 1st grade students will write a sentence in their writing notebooks for each vocabulary word, with 95% grammatical accuracy. (This objective falls under the knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using the “Main Idea - Talk About It” Brain Pop Jr. link, the 1st grade students will write the main idea of the weekly story selection read in class, as well as three facts that support it, in no fewer than four sentences. (This objective falls under the knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
• Using the software “Tux Paint”, the 1st grade students will draw a picture of the weekly story selection's main idea, with at least two clear and identifiable components of the main idea evident in the illustrations. (This objective falls under the application level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using the “Character – Talk About It” Brain Pop Jr. link, the 1st grade students will identify and list both the physical and personality traits of the main character from the weekly story selection, with 90% accuracy. (This objective falls under the knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using the software “Tux Paint”, the 1st grade students will draw a picture of their favorite character from the story read in class, with at least two clear and identifiable character traits evident in the illustrations. (This objective falls under the application level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using the “Plot – Write About It” Brain Pop Jr. link, the 1st grade students will write a paragraph about the problems the main character from the weekly story selection faced and how the problem was solved, in no less than four sentences and with 90% grammatical accuracy. (This objective falls under the knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Given the "Setting – Activity” Brain Pop Jr. link, the 1st grade students will print, color and match the drawing of a setting to the corresponding title of its story, with 95% accuracy. (This objective falls under the comprehension level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using a computer and the Brain Pop Jr. website, the 1st grade students will assess what they've learned in class throughout the week by printing and answering one of four “hard quizzes” available on the student website, with 95% accuracy. (This objective falls under the evaluation level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
FL Sunshine State Standards:
1. Benchmark Number: LA.1.2.1.2
Benchmark Description: The student will retell the main events (e.g., beginning, middle, and end) in a story;
Subject Area: Reading/Language Arts
Grade Level: 1
Strand: Literary Analysis
Standard: Fiction - The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of the elements of a variety of fiction and literary texts to develop a thoughtful response to a literary selection.
Date Adopted or Revised: 01/07
Status: State Board Approved
2. Benchmark Number: LA.1.2.1.3
Benchmark Description: The student will identify the characters and settings in a story;
Subject Area: Reading/Language Arts
Grade Level: 1
Strand: Literary Analysis
Standard: Fiction - The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of the elements of a variety of fiction and literary texts to develop a thoughtful response to a literary selection.
Date Adopted or Revised: 01/07
Status: State Board Approved
3. Benchmark Number: LA.1.1.7.4
Benchmark Description: The student will identify supporting details;
Subject Area: Reading/Language Arts
Grade Level: 1
Strand: Reading Process
Standard: Reading Comprehension - The student uses a variety of strategies to comprehend grade level text.
Date Adopted or Revised: 01/07
Status: State Board Approved
4. Benchmark Number: LA.1.1.6.1
Benchmark Description: The student will use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly;
Subject Area: Reading/Language Arts
Grade Level: 1
Strand: Reading Process
Standard: Vocabulary Development - The student uses multiple strategies to develop grade appropriate vocabulary.
Date Adopted or Revised: 01/07
Status: State Board Approved
Materials Needed:
Technology:
• Computers with Internet Access
• Printer
• Brain Pop Jr. Website account
• Tux Paint software
Supplies:
• Coloring Pencils
• Blank Printing Paper
Activities and Procedures:
Day One:
1. For the first activity the students will be reading individually a short story on the student website.
2. Afterwards, the students should visit the linked vocabulary page on the website and read the list of vocabulary words. The next activity will require them to build short sentences for each of the vocabulary words in their writing notebooks.
3. The student that finishes all of their sentences will have a chance to watch the “Choosing a Book” cartoon from the Brain Pop Jr. Website, about how to choose the perfect book to read.
4. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Day Two:
1. The day’s first activity will be watching the Brain Pop Jr. Website “Main Idea” video.
2. After watching the video, the students should click on the “Main Idea – Word Wall” vocabulary link and read the new vocabulary words.
3. Next, the students will be using the Brain Pop Jr. “Main Idea – Talk About It” link to write sentences about what they think the main idea of the story (read in class) was, and three facts that support the idea. They will need to print the paragraph and hand it in.
4. Afterwards, the students will use the Tux Paint software to draw a picture of what they think the weekly story’s main idea is.
5. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Day Three:
1. The first activity for the students will be watching the Brain Pop Jr. Website “Characters” video.
2. Following the video, the students should click on the “Characters – Word Wall” vocabulary link and read the new vocabulary words.
3. Next, the students will be using the Brain Pop Jr. “Character – Talk About It” link, to list both the physical and personality traits of the weekly story’s main character. They will need to print the list and hand it in.
4. The students will now use the Tux Paint software to draw a picture of their favorite character from the story they read and identify the character’s role in the story.
5. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Day Four:
1. Activity #1 for the fourth day will be watching the last two of the Brain Pop Jr. Video’s for the week: “Plot” and “Setting”.
2. Afterwards, the students should click on both the “Plot – Word Wall” and the “Setting – Word Wall” vocabulary link and read the new vocabulary words.
3. When finished with the vocabulary words, the students will click on the “Plot – Write About It” Brain Pop Jr. link, and write a paragraph about the problems the main character from the story faced and how the problem was solved. They will need to print this and hand it in.
4. The following activity will require the students to click on the “Setting – Activity” Brain Pop Jr. link. They will need to print this activity, color the drawings, and match them to their corresponding story. This activity will need to be handed in.
5. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Day Five:
1. On this day, the students will assess what they’ve learned throughout the week by clicking on one of the linked “Hard Quizzes”, printing it and answering it to the best of their abilities.
2. Also, if any of the students didn’t finish one of the previously assigned activities, they should take the time to complete these after they’ve finished taking and handing in their weekly quiz.
3. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Assessment:
A rubric will be used to assess student success rate, and depending on results, the lesson will be altered as needed. Click here to access the lesson plan rubric.
Story Elements Lesson Plan
www.free-clip-art.com
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Subject: Language Arts
Author: Bárbara Esteves
Overview:
This lesson provides elementary level educators with resources and ideas for teaching story elements with the aid of the Brain Pop Jr. website and the software Tux Paint. Over a five-day period of 50 minute long lessons, subjects such as the main idea, characters, plot and setting of a story will be taught to the students through various individual activities. An individual reading session introduces the lesson, progressing into the different daily activities that will put the students' newfound knowledge into practice.
Objectives:
• Given a list of vocabulary words and using the words in the correct context, the 1st grade students will write a sentence in their writing notebooks for each vocabulary word, with 95% grammatical accuracy. (This objective falls under the knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using the “Main Idea - Talk About It” Brain Pop Jr. link, the 1st grade students will write the main idea of the weekly story selection read in class, as well as three facts that support it, in no fewer than four sentences. (This objective falls under the knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
• Using the software “Tux Paint”, the 1st grade students will draw a picture of the weekly story selection's main idea, with at least two clear and identifiable components of the main idea evident in the illustrations. (This objective falls under the application level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using the “Character – Talk About It” Brain Pop Jr. link, the 1st grade students will identify and list both the physical and personality traits of the main character from the weekly story selection, with 90% accuracy. (This objective falls under the knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using the software “Tux Paint”, the 1st grade students will draw a picture of their favorite character from the story read in class, with at least two clear and identifiable character traits evident in the illustrations. (This objective falls under the application level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using the “Plot – Write About It” Brain Pop Jr. link, the 1st grade students will write a paragraph about the problems the main character from the weekly story selection faced and how the problem was solved, in no less than four sentences and with 90% grammatical accuracy. (This objective falls under the knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Given the "Setting – Activity” Brain Pop Jr. link, the 1st grade students will print, color and match the drawing of a setting to the corresponding title of its story, with 95% accuracy. (This objective falls under the comprehension level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
• Using a computer and the Brain Pop Jr. website, the 1st grade students will assess what they've learned in class throughout the week by printing and answering one of four “hard quizzes” available on the student website, with 95% accuracy. (This objective falls under the evaluation level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.)
FL Sunshine State Standards:
1. Benchmark Number: LA.1.2.1.2
Benchmark Description: The student will retell the main events (e.g., beginning, middle, and end) in a story;
Subject Area: Reading/Language Arts
Grade Level: 1
Strand: Literary Analysis
Standard: Fiction - The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of the elements of a variety of fiction and literary texts to develop a thoughtful response to a literary selection.
Date Adopted or Revised: 01/07
Status: State Board Approved
2. Benchmark Number: LA.1.2.1.3
Benchmark Description: The student will identify the characters and settings in a story;
Subject Area: Reading/Language Arts
Grade Level: 1
Strand: Literary Analysis
Standard: Fiction - The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of the elements of a variety of fiction and literary texts to develop a thoughtful response to a literary selection.
Date Adopted or Revised: 01/07
Status: State Board Approved
3. Benchmark Number: LA.1.1.7.4
Benchmark Description: The student will identify supporting details;
Subject Area: Reading/Language Arts
Grade Level: 1
Strand: Reading Process
Standard: Reading Comprehension - The student uses a variety of strategies to comprehend grade level text.
Date Adopted or Revised: 01/07
Status: State Board Approved
4. Benchmark Number: LA.1.1.6.1
Benchmark Description: The student will use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly;
Subject Area: Reading/Language Arts
Grade Level: 1
Strand: Reading Process
Standard: Vocabulary Development - The student uses multiple strategies to develop grade appropriate vocabulary.
Date Adopted or Revised: 01/07
Status: State Board Approved
Materials Needed:
Technology:
• Computers with Internet Access
• Printer
• Brain Pop Jr. Website account
• Tux Paint software
Supplies:
• Coloring Pencils
• Blank Printing Paper
Activities and Procedures:
Day One:
1. For the first activity the students will be reading individually a short story on the student website.
2. Afterwards, the students should visit the linked vocabulary page on the website and read the list of vocabulary words. The next activity will require them to build short sentences for each of the vocabulary words in their writing notebooks.
3. The student that finishes all of their sentences will have a chance to watch the “Choosing a Book” cartoon from the Brain Pop Jr. Website, about how to choose the perfect book to read.
4. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Day Two:
1. The day’s first activity will be watching the Brain Pop Jr. Website “Main Idea” video.
2. After watching the video, the students should click on the “Main Idea – Word Wall” vocabulary link and read the new vocabulary words.
3. Next, the students will be using the Brain Pop Jr. “Main Idea – Talk About It” link to write sentences about what they think the main idea of the story (read in class) was, and three facts that support the idea. They will need to print the paragraph and hand it in.
4. Afterwards, the students will use the Tux Paint software to draw a picture of what they think the weekly story’s main idea is.
5. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Day Three:
1. The first activity for the students will be watching the Brain Pop Jr. Website “Characters” video.
2. Following the video, the students should click on the “Characters – Word Wall” vocabulary link and read the new vocabulary words.
3. Next, the students will be using the Brain Pop Jr. “Character – Talk About It” link, to list both the physical and personality traits of the weekly story’s main character. They will need to print the list and hand it in.
4. The students will now use the Tux Paint software to draw a picture of their favorite character from the story they read and identify the character’s role in the story.
5. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Day Four:
1. Activity #1 for the fourth day will be watching the last two of the Brain Pop Jr. Video’s for the week: “Plot” and “Setting”.
2. Afterwards, the students should click on both the “Plot – Word Wall” and the “Setting – Word Wall” vocabulary link and read the new vocabulary words.
3. When finished with the vocabulary words, the students will click on the “Plot – Write About It” Brain Pop Jr. link, and write a paragraph about the problems the main character from the story faced and how the problem was solved. They will need to print this and hand it in.
4. The following activity will require the students to click on the “Setting – Activity” Brain Pop Jr. link. They will need to print this activity, color the drawings, and match them to their corresponding story. This activity will need to be handed in.
5. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Day Five:
1. On this day, the students will assess what they’ve learned throughout the week by clicking on one of the linked “Hard Quizzes”, printing it and answering it to the best of their abilities.
2. Also, if any of the students didn’t finish one of the previously assigned activities, they should take the time to complete these after they’ve finished taking and handing in their weekly quiz.
3. If a student has finished both of these activities, they will be allowed to choose a book from the Independent Reading bookcase.
Assessment:
A rubric will be used to assess student success rate, and depending on results, the lesson will be altered as needed. Click here to access the lesson plan rubric.